Is Your Vape Pen as Safe as You Think?

Vape pens are everywhere these days. They’re convenient, discreet and there’s an endless variety of different styles and upgrades to choose from.

SOURCEvapes provides a wide variety of atomizers so our customers can choose the best fit for them and the kind of experience they want. And while it’s incredibly important to have options, you should always be aware of the different material types and safety issues that come with using vape pens.

Below we’ll guide you through the most common vape pen configurations, their benefits and their material structures.

History and Popularity of Coiled and Coil-Less

While many prefer the coil-less atomizers to their coiled counterparts, they both have their pros and cons, and it’s important to be aware of the differences.

Coiled Atomizers, Drop the Wick

When vape pens were just starting out, most atomizers contained a cotton wick and were in a ceramic cup, and you would get a burn taste once the wick was gone. After that, there were wickless atomizers. Ceramic rods replaced the cotton wick, the atomizers lasted longer, and the taste improved.

In 2015, SOURCEvapes released the first quartz atomizers, including the revolutionary dual coil atomizer in a full quartz cup, and since then, this variation has been replicated and largely replaced the ceramic rods and cup. This quartz rod and quartz cup combination results in increased efficiency compared to its ceramic counterparts by not having any wax stick to the sides.

If you have had a ceramic cup vape pen atomizer, you will see quite a bit of concentrate stick to the sides of the cup. This can be recovered, but with most quartz atomizers, the wax keeps heating up and is recirculated in the bowl.

This variation is still very popular and the featured atomizer style in most vape pens that have come out this year. If you really want to experience bigger hits, the only triple coil vape pen, the Flosstradamus SOURCE orb XL, delivers.

SOURCE orb 4 with Quartz Double Coil, made with Grade 1 Titanium

Coil-Less Atomizers, The Future of Vape

As of 2016, coil-less atomizers are the most popular and innovative atomizer styles. SOURCEvapes released our first coil-less ceramic donut atomizer with SOURCE terra in 2014, and now with SOURCE orb 4 and SOURCE nail Portable eNail, we have five different new coil-less atomizers.

Coil-less atomizers bring the experience of a full dab rig on the go. They also offer a smoother hit over coiled atomizers, purer taste and more efficiency. The new SOURCE nail coil-less atomizers have a bucket (either Grade 2 Titanium, Ceramic or Quartz) that is heated from underneath, meaning none of our material is wasted and your concentrate is vaporized with the same efficiency as a tabletop rig.

One thing to consider is that coiled atomizers can eat up wax fast, and especially with the ceramic variety, a lot of wax can get stuck to the sides of the ceramic walls. Unlike coiled atomizers, coil-less allows for the wax to stay at the bottom when it heats up and is continuously vaporized until all the material is gone.

SOURCE nail Portable eNail with Ceramic coil-less atomizer

Material Composition Affects Taste and Safety

Now that you’re familiar with the two main atomizer types—coiled and coil-less—we’ll go through the different types, materials used and safety considerations.

Coiled Atomizers

The composition of the metals in the coil can vary greatly even if the atomizer looks the same. Most of the coils are made from kanthal, nichrome, titanium alloy, Grade 2 Titanium and Grade 1 Titanium, depending on the manufacturer. Others are unknown alloys, and companies are not always aware of what they are. To avoid vape pens with unknown alloys, always look for tests. The atomizer could contain harmful materials, and possible negative long-term effects.

SOURCEvapes Test of Grade 1 and 2 Titanium

Kanthal and nichrome have been used for a long time in eCigs and are still used in some vape pens. While they produce a good hit, the taste leaves much to be desired. These are the reason for that famed “vape pen taste.” These are deemed safer than unknown alloys.

Titanium alloys are the most common vape pen coil type. If you see a wax pen coil labeled as titanium without stating the grade of titanium, it’s usually a titanium alloy. They deliver substantially better taste than kanthal or nichrome. The problem with titanium alloys is that many aren’t tested, and the long-term health effects are unknown due to how new they are. And more importantly, other than titanium, what else is in those alloys?

Titanium coils in Grade 1 and Grade 2 offer the purest taste and safest option for coiled atomizers. SOURCE’s coiled atomizers are made of Grade 1 Titanium. Grade 2 contains slightly more oxygen in the composition. But some suppliers don’t deliver proper Grade 2 wiring, and there are some gaps in quality. By using only Grade 1 wire in large quantities, SOURCE can ensure 100 percent consistency. We test all of our metals in the USA, delivering a double test to make sure our products are of the highest quality.

Remember this: Pure Titanium double coil atomizers (made of Grade 1 or Grade 2 Titanium) require sub-ohm batteries because of their low resistance, so if it says Grade 2 and uses a regular battery, ask for the a coil composition test.

Make sure the vape pen manufacturer you are purchasing from has USA-tested results regarding the metals used in their atomizers. Without tested results, you can’t always trust the coil composition.

The SOURCE nail atomizers can be used in both our SOURCE orb vape pens or the SOURCE nail Portable eNail, and are available in three variations: Quartz, Ceramic and Grade 2 Titanium.

Quartz coil-less atomizers are a pure quartz cup that offers the smoothest taste of the three. Their composition is simple and one of the healthiest options for coil-less atomizers.

Ceramic coil-less atomizers are also fairly simple in composition, although there are some variations in quality. Ceramic stands in the middle of quality, not too harsh but not a super smooth hit. These are also healthy, and many of the devices use medical-grade ceramic.

Titanium coil-less atomizers are for those users trying to get the hardest hit. They are the most commonly used, but that can mean many types of metals. They are available in two varieties: titanium alloy and Grade 2 titanium. If the item is not specifically noted as Grade 2 titanium, it is likely an alloy. To make sure an alloy is safe, ask the company you are purchasing from if they have any verifiable safety tests.

Remember, Always Check the Composition First

When you decide what type of vape pen to get, make sure to check the composition of the coils used. It’s best to know what you are consuming for safety and to get the type of hit you want out of your vape.